Halo: Honour and Home
Chapter 1 - Sanghelios The moons Qikost and Suban disappeared from the view of the crew of the Shadow of Intent. The mighty ship was in Sanghelios's orbit, the red planet's appearance making the crew relaxed. Rtas'Vadum, the Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent, was the most relaxed out of all the crew. Minutes earlier, he had let out a sigh of relief and laid back in his metal seat upon seeing Sanghelios. Rtas had not said anything for several minutes, still savouring the moment. Thel'Vadam, the 20th and current Arbiter of the Sangheili, was not so relaxed. He had his arm against the wall and his hand on his head. His head was filled with thoughts, thoughts about what his people would think of him becoming Arbiter. He had to be disgraced in order to achieve such a high rank in Sangheili society. All he could think about when he saw Sanghelios was his past. The time he suffered an injury and had a doctor visit him and the time when he failed to protect Installation 04. What will they think of me? As an Arbiter, or as a disgrace? Thel asked himself in his head. A Sangheili crewman, Haru'Teku, placed his right hand on Thel's armoured shoulder, which was the colour of copper and bronze. Thel turned his head to his right to see Haru. "Arbiter, what is the matter?" asked Haru. Haru wore a red Sangheili Combat Harness and carried a Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol. "I fear that my people will reject my presence." answered Thel, a tone of sadness in his voice. "There is nothing to fear, Arbiter. We have accepted you, why won't your people?" questioned Haru, taking his hand away from Thel's shoulder. Rtas sat forward upon hearing a female Sangheili say that they have entered Sanghelios's atmosphere. "Everybody, take a seat and hold on to something! We are entering the atmosphere!" he exclaimed to his crew. Rtas wore a white Combat Harness. Before Thel could answer, Haru walked away to take a seat. Thel walked over to Rtas and placed a hand on his seat. "It is good to finally see Sanghelios in all its glory." Rtas said to Thel. Thel remained silent as the continent of Yermo appeared past the clouds that the Shadow of Intent had to pass through. Yermo was slightly smaller than Europe on Earth, but still had a large population. The Shadow of Intent was approaching the Iruiru Region, where the State of Vadam resided. Within the State of Vadam was the famous War College whre young and teenaged Sangheili train to become fierce warriors. The Shadow of Intent cast a shadow over the several buildings in the State of Vadam, catching attention from the Sangheili below. They all cheered as the flagship past over them. Students at the War College ran out and joined the crowd, cheering for the Shadow of Intent. Not far away was a multi-peaked mountain with a castle-like structure attached to it. This was Kolaar Mountain, Thel's birthplace. The crowds managed to catch a glimpse of Thel onboard the ship, and was soon followed by joyous chanting. Thel looked down at the crowds to see the Sangheili people chanting his name. The buildings of the State of Vadam were tall and beautiful in design, meant to honour Sanghelios and its people. The Shadow of Intent approached Kolaar Mountain, sparking memories in Thel's head. Thel was a young one when he heard the death of the 18th Arbiter, Ripa'Moramee. As a child, Thel always thought of Ripa as a role model, but recently, he had lost interest in Ripa for he was dedicated to serving the Hierarchs. The Shadow of Intent flew over the castle-like structure, which was the Vadam Keep. The ship attracted attention from the residents inside, who rushed out onto a large balcony to witness the ship overhead. Thel looked down at the keep and saw several familiar faces. His father, Rosh, his mother, Lidna, and his nephew, Tiza. He then glanced at the thing in Lidna's arms, a small Sangheili youngling. While Thel was the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice, his mother has had a baby. Thel let out a small tear and a small smile upon seeing his new sibling. Thel's family waved as the ship disappeared from view, and Thel waved as the Kolaar Mountain disappeared from his. The Shadow of Intent was now flying over another part of the Iruiru Region, a part that had no buildings or Sangheili, but just red and gold sand for miles. The ship started to slow down as it neared the ground for landing. When it touched the ground, the crew experienced a sudden jolt that unbalanced them. Thel tripped and fell backwards, smacking his head against Rtas's metal seat. Thel was dazed, while Rtas experienced a sudden loss of breath as he was pushed nearly out of his seat. The ship slowed and eventually stopped, giving the crew a chance to recover. Chapter 2 - The Ambush Thel stepped off the Shadow of Intent and inhaled a breath of Sangheili air. The air was like that on Earth, it consisted of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Also, it had a reddish colour, possibly indicating that there was traces of iron in the air. The air tasted slightly different to that on Earth, but to Thel, it was completely different, as it was the air his ancestors had breathed. He exhaled loudly before turning to Rtas. "It is good to be home." Thel said to him before placing his hand on his head. Thel was still slightly dazed from the impact. Rtas breathed in the air and exhaled, sensing the same difference as Thel. "At last, I can rest!" exclaimed Rtas gladly. The crew stepped off and looked around. "Where are we?" asked a female Sangheili, Sei'Tavanu. She wore a pink Assault Harness and carried a Type-51 Directed Energy Rifle/Improved, or simply a Plasma Repeater. "We are somewhere near Kolaar Mountain. The geography of this place makes it impossible for us to get the Shadow of Intent off the ground." answered Haru. "Why could we not just have used our Slipspace Drive?" Thel questioned Shina'Jorka, the female pilot of the flagship. "We were low on fuel. I had to shorten our destination otherwise we would have collapsed onto the city." she answered, fear in her voice. Suddenly, they all heard an all too familiar noise. Thel turned and looked into the distance. What they heard was the grunting and roaring of several Jiralhanae, consisting of one Captain and a group of Minors and Majors. The Captain carried a large Jiralhanae Combat Knife, with its blade looking sharper as the sun shone on its blade. He outstretched his knife-weilding arm and let out a loud roar, meaning that he had seen the Sangheili land. "What the hell are they doing here?!" exclaimed a crewman, Kalo'Jiga, who wore a black Combat Harness. Several of the Jiralhanae got out Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimatériel Incendiary Grenades and launched them at the Sangheili. Kalo placed his arm on Rtas's shoulder before pushing past him and leaping forward. A grenade landed into his hands as he dropped to the ground. However, the other grenades hit the sand around Kalo, bursting into flames. As Kalo's body burned from the explosions, he threw the caught Firebomb at the Jiralhanae. The grenade flew through the air, only exploding into fire upon impacting into the torso of the Jiralhanae captain. The extreme heat incinerated the Captain and the Jiralhanae by his side. The other Jiralhanae leaped or fell backwards, trying to avoid being burned to death. Kalo has been burning for several seconds now, yet his legs have already turned to liquid. Kalo fell to the ground, trying to crawl back to his comrades. Thel watched as Kalo's body melted before him. It was a sad death, watching a member of your own crew burn into iquid before your eyes. Rtas had known Kalo for a while, he knew he was prone to getting himself in trouble. Rtas had met Kalo's family a while ago, before the Great Schism. Rtas shed a tear in each eye before unleashing a huge roar of anger and charged at the Jiralhanae. Rtas got out his Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle, or Plasma Rifle, and leaped forward. In a fit of rage, he unleashed a barrage of shots from the weapon. For the Jiralhanae, it was like hundreds of heated energy droplets falling onto you at the speed of sound. Blood splattered onto the hot sand. Rtas had killed several Jiralhanae before he landed. When he did land, it was on top of a living Jiralhanae Minor. The Jiralhanae looked up in fear at Rtas, who was still incredibly angry. Rtas placed the Plasma Rifle up against the Jiralhanae's left eye and fired, blinding the Jiralhanae and causing severe pain. Rtas then put away his Plasma Rifle and got out his Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword, or Energy Sword. He activated the superheated energy blade and dove it through the Jiralhanae's eyes, burning his skull from the inside. The desert was filled with unbearable screaming for several seconds, until silence occured again. The Jiralhanae's eye sockets smoked as Rtas pulled out the Energy Sword. Rtas deactivated the blade and put away the Energy Sword. Blood was everywhere, including on Rtas's armour and face. He exhaled loudly before turning to his right, towards Kolaar Mountain. "Everybody," he said, "follow me." Chapter 3 - Forced Work Rosh'Vadam was pushed up against a stone wall within the Vadam Keep by the muscular and large hand of a Jiralhanae. The Jiralhanae that was holding Rosh was known as Titus. Titus was larger and stronger than most other Jiralhanae, this was what made him the new Chieftain of the Jiralhanae in the place of the previous one, who was killed during the Battle of Earth, along with the Prophet of Truth. Titus placed his face near Rosh's, making sure Rosh sees how serious Titus is. "Please, what do you want?!" gasped Rosh, starting to choke from the pressure on his neck. "I want you to bring me your son, the Arbiter! I want Thel!" exclaimed Titus. His hand started to put more pressure on Thel, who started to cough up Sangheili blood. "Do you understand?!" Titus exclaimed, spitting in Rosh's face. Rosh barely nodded, but Titus knew he was saying yes. Titus removed his hand away from Rosh's throat. Rosh fell to his knees and rubbed his neck. "Do not worry, Titus, you will get to see Thel soon..." Rosh was cut short by Titus. "I do not want to just see him, I want to annihalate him!!" Titus shouted, slamming his Gravity Hammer into the floor, slightly startling his Jiralhanae bodyguards. But not Gaius. Gaius was a Jiralhanae Stalker, and a strong one at that. Gaius has survived the Flood, UNSC and Covenant Separatists. Gaius walked past Titus and grabbed Rosh's throat. "You'd better get him here, otherwise you are Kig-Yar meat!" threatened Gaius before releasing Rosh. Titus turned his head towards Gaius. "I want you to find Rtas'Vadum, Gaius. Find him and destroy him." ordered Titus sternly. "Search and destroy," said Gaius, pounding his fists together, "my favourite kind of mission." He turned round to the other Jiralhanae. However, he was not paying attention to them. Instead, he whistled. A small group of Kig-Yar burst into the room, armed with Plasma Pistols and Plasma Rifles. They growled viciously and wildly, disturbing the nearby Jiralhanae. Their screeches made Gaius smile slightly before he gave out his order. "Kig-Yar, we have been assigned to find and eliminate the Sangheili known as Rtas'Vadum. You should know of him, he is the Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent!" ordered Gaius, his voice booming through the Vadam Keep. The Kig-Yar screeched at Gaius, but he knew it was their way of answering his order. They would do as he said, otherwise they would pay the consequence of death or torture. Around a nearby wall, Tiza and Lidna overheard everything. "Will daddy be all right?" asked Tiza, you could tell his voice was soft even though it was a mere whisper. Lidna looked down at the young Sangheili, not knowing what to say. "I-I don't know." she answered, a tone of uncertainty in her voice. Both Tiza and Lidna were stunned by Titus's size, reminding Lidna of the late Ripa'Moramee due to his massive size. Lidna peeked around the corner, trying to get spotted. She saw as Gaius and his mob of Kig-Yar leap out the nearby window, beginning their search. She then saw Titus's bodyguards leave the room before Titus turned and left himself. Rosh exhaled, holding his breath ever since the Kig-Yar entered. He placed his left hand against the wall and turned his head to see Lidna and young Tiza standing in the door way. His hand moved down the wall and his head looked down in shame. Lidna shook her head before walking away from the doorway, and away from Rosh. Tiza simply stood there, waiting for something to be said. Silence. Nobody said a word, until Rosh opened his mouth and said "I'm sorry." Tiza, a look of disappointment on his face, turned his back to Rosh before walking out of the doorway. What do I do now? thought Rosh before placing his hands over his eyes and sighing. Meanwhile, one of the Kig-Yar has gotten into slight trouble. He had lost his balance while running and has fallen, a sharp rock impaling his right shoulder and a heavy rock behind his head. He was knocked unconscious. Gaius was bent over, holding a Kig-Yar in his left hand, while holding a stable rock with his right. The Kig-Yar he was holding, a female, was holding a male Kig-Yar in her left hand, while that Kig-Yar held another male in his left hand. The lowest Kig-Yar wrapped his fingers around his comrade's armoured torso before being hauled up. Gaius took the Kig-Yar into his arms and looked at the damage. There was a lot of blood coming from the back of the head and mouth, while his right arm has become filled with dirt and sand. It would be near impossible to clean his wound, but Gaius was already certain that the Kig-Yar died from the head impact. He lay the Kig-Yar on the ground in a sorrowful manner. "This planet has claimed one of your own," he said, "another reason why we must destroy it!" Gaius turned and ran, his Kig-Yar mob joining him. A male Kig-Yar at the back placed his hand on the shoulder of the female ahead of him. They both stopped and faced each other. "What is it?" asked Ter, the female Kig-Yar. "I do not see why we work for this ape! I wish we could get back to Eayn!" exclaimed Kor, the male. "Eayn is under the control of the Covenant, they will not allow us to return until our missions are complete." explained Ter, placing a hand on Kor's shoulder. "Hurry up!" screeched Fal, a cocky and young Kig-Yar male. Ter and Kor soon caught up with the mob as the Shadow of Intent was in sight. Chapter 4 - Wild The Sangeili had walked several miles already, exhausted and in need of liquid. Thel ignored his own needs, as he was trained to. He would think about it when the time is right, but not now. A large hole in a wall caught their attention. It was pitch black inside, although the smell of meat indicated that there was something inside. Rtas and two more Sangheili ran beside the hole, weapons drawn and ready. "Whatever we find will most probably be hostile, so keep your weapons ready and your wits about you." ordered Rtas, peeking into the dark hole. The smell of meat inside would make most people careless, but not Rtas. Rtas was trained to go without for days. But he still needed food, as that was what he was doing a few days ago. Rtas took out his Energy Sword and activated the burning hot energy blade, which lit up the hole slightly. He then threw in a flare, going off and filling the hole with light. Inside, they saw a large pile of raw meat. However, they also saw Kurjir, a type of vicious Sangheili animal. The three Kurjir inside the hole came roaring out. They were bigger than Sangheili, standing at two feet taller than most average. The Kurjir had dark, tough skin which helped them when fighting amongst other Kurjir occur. Their eyes were reptilian and had small black slit-like pupils. Their arms were strong, filled with muscles. And their five claws on each hand were perhaps their deadliest weapon they had, if it weren't for their sharp jaws. Thel drew his Energy Sword and activated the blade calmly, trying not to startle these incredibly powerful carnivores. There was a moment of silence, with Thel slowly moving during that moment, as if he was about to engage in combat. The moment ended when one of the Kurjir charged towards Thel. Thel quickly ran towards the Kurjir and rolled into a ball. His Energy Sword stuck out when Thel rolled underneath the Kurjir, the Energy Sword slicing through the Kurjir's tough skin and penetrating its torso. Thel stopped rolling and jumped into his normal stance. The Kurjir collapsed into a pile of heated blood. Thel looked down at his kill before turning his head to the other Kurjir. Another Kurjir ran towards Thel, roaring over the loss of its sibling. Thel gripped his Energy Sword and ran towards the charging Kurjir, a cry of battle escaping his lungs. Thel pulled his sword-carrying arm back as he ran. The Kurjir's roar flew past Thel as they ran. Thel was only a foot away from the Kurjir when it swung its arm at him. Thel kept running and dodged the swing by bending downwards. Thel then sprung his arm forward, the Energy Sword impaling the Kurjir's stomach. The Kurjir unleashed a roar of pain as the sword penetrated its toughskin. Thel pushed the sword further into the Kurjir's stomach, burning and melting the Kurjir's stomach. After several seconds, the Kurjir remained alive. Thel pulled out the sword and twisted in a circle, the sword piercing the Kurjir's back. The Kurjir roared again, standing on its toes. Thel pushed the blade through the beasts's back, finally killing it. The Kurjir's arms dropped and its head fell back as its life was ended in an instant. Thel pulled out the sword, leaving the bloodied corpse of the Kurjir to fall onto its back. The last Kurjir was bigger than the other two, darker in colour and, after witnessing its comrades fall to Thel, presumably the most annoyed. The Kurjir unleashed a petrifying roar before launching itself out of the hole and landing on top of Thel. The Energy Sword was knocked out of Thel's hand and sent flying away from him. Thel grunted as he was knocked to the floor, but remained silent when he saw the grotesque and scarred face of the Kurjir on top of him. Their eyes locked, not looking away from each other. The Kurjir growled viciously, its saliva falling onto Thel's bloodied armour. The Kurjir then opened its mouth, revealing to Thel its sharp jaws and blood-red tongue. Thel roared as he kicked the Kurjir's stomach, preventing it from ripping his head off. However, Thel did not count on the beasts's extraordinary arms. It lifted its right arm into the air, about to crush Thel's head beneath it. Suddenly, an Energy Sword's superheated blade cut through the arm with ease. The Kurjir let out a long roar before the Energy Blade impaled its neck. A Sangheili hand grabbed the Kurjir's upper jaw and threw the corpse onto its back. Thel looked up to see Rtas putting away his Energy Sword. The Sangheili now had food to eat, but it would be useless without water. Chapter 5 - The Grunt Meanwhile, on the Shadow of Intent, there was little noise, excluding the breathing of an Unggoy. The Unggoy was Mimim, a Special Operations Unggoy who had been hiding on the flagship for several days. He had been stealing leftover Sangheili food and eating it and using water leaks on the ship as a source of water. Mimim wandered around the ship, wondering where everybody has gone. "Where everybody go? Mimim lonely..." he said as he passed a weapons room. Mimim looked out of a nearby window and gazed at the desert landscape. Minim's instincts made him look down at the red sand and look for footprints. "Yes, yes! Mimim find tracks!" he exclaimed happily. A minute later, he stepped out of the Shadow of Intent, feeling the heat on his skin. Mimim was armed with a Plasma Pistol and several Plasma Grenades. Mimim stretched his arms looked around. He saw the the Kolaar Mountain to his right, which was where the footprints of the Sangheili led to. It would take Mimim ages to catch up with the Sangheili. However, there was one thing the Sangheili forgot about when they left the ship. Mimim had seen a Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle in construction inside the ship. It took another several minutes to get the Ghost started and ready for its journey. Mimim laughed as the Ghost, now outside the flagship, lifted off the ground. However, in his amusement, the Ghost speeded forward. Mimim gasped and quickly turned the Ghost to his right. Sand flew against his mask, making an irritating clattering noise. Mimim blocked the sand with his right hand, but the sand still managed to beat against his mask. So, he used his left arm to block the sand. And at the moment he did that, he rolled backwards, out of the seat, gripping onto the edge of the seat with his left arm. He screamed as the Ghost unbalanced and hit a rock, sending it flying through the air. Mimim let go, falling onto the ground head-first. The Ghost was about to land, until a Gravity Hammer batted it the other way. Mimim sat up and rubbed his head, until he saw the Jiralhanae Chieftain with the Gravity Hammer. He let out a long, distressed cry. "Mimim in danger! Mimim in danger!" he cried, getting up and running. He ran past the Jiralhanae Chieftain just as it threw its Gravity Hammer down on the Unggoy. Mimim, starting to cry, looked back and saw the Chieftain run after him. Luckily, he could see the Sangheili ahead. He charged his Plasma Pistol, and released a ball of sickly green energy at them. It took a minute or so for the ball to fly straight in front of Rtas'Vadum. Rtas turned his head and saw the distressed Unggoy. He also saw the strong Chieftain. Rtas let out a long battle cry, catching the attention of the Chieftain. The Jiralhanae grunted and ran towards the Sangheili. Mimim saw the Chieftain run off and stopped crying. "Fear Mimim! Fear Mimim!" the Unggoy cheered. Rtas and the Jiralhanae ran towards each other, Energy Sword about to clash with Gravity Hammer. Then it happened. The Energy Sword bounced off the Gravity Hammer, but Rtas simply swung in a circle and cut the Chieftain's cheek. Jiralhanae blood splattered across the Chieftain's right side on his face. Rtas, thinking on his feet, quickly tried to impale the Chieftain underneath his head, but the Jiralhanae moved his body backwards before Rtas could strike. The Chieftain swung his Gravity Hammer towards Rtas's head, but the Sangheili ducked and cut the Chieftain's right hip. The Chieftain did not feel this pain and instead rammed Rtas. Rtas was knocked to the ground and the Chieftain was about to drop his Gravity Hammer onto his body at full strength, but a small, green ball hit the Chieftain's right cheek, the one that was cut by Rtas's Energy Sword. The Chieftain let out a long roar, expressing the pain. Rtas grabbed his Plasma Rifle and fired at the Chieftain. The Jiralhanae leaped back, trying not to suffer more pain. Rtas leaped to his feet, disgusted by the Chieftain's sudden cowardice. "Come on, fight me!" shouted Rtas, picking his Energy Sword up from the sand. The Chieftain ran out of Rtas's view. "Mimim thanks you for saving Mimim!" exclaimed the Unggoy to Rtas. Rtas chuckled slightly before turning away and going back to his group. Chapter 6 - The Heretic Gura'Durskam of the Sangheili Council stared at his comrades. Gura was the highest ranking Sangheili in the Council, also being the oldest. Gura wore white armour, to show that he was the highest ranking. His brilliant crested helmet also displayed his importance. One member of the Council was his son, Dao'Misham. Gura carries an Energy Sword at his side, thus he is not allowed to marry, but had impregnated a female who got married to another Sangheili later that year. Dao was brought up by his mother's husband, Yuna'Misham. Dao wore a crested helmet that was dwarfed by the others. His armour was also a cobalt colour, again displaying his low rank in the Council. Gura and his comrades sat in a circle on seats made from stone, carved by their ancestors. "This war is getting out of hand. The Jiralhanae have taken most of Yermo, and now they wait outside this city. It is only a matter of time before they breach and take this place of ancestry as well." explained Gura. The next highest ranking Councilor, Bor'Octom, spoke. "We should launch an assault on the Jiralhanae! We should burn their planet until it is glass!" exclaimed Bor, banging his fist against the arm of his chair, "You saw what they did to Te, Gura! They will do it here unless we destroy their home planet first!" The Sangheili Council stayed silent for several minutes, until suddenly a hologram materialised in the centre of the room. The hologram glowed a light blue, the hologram being the head of a San'Shyuum. "Are you enjoying this? Are you enjoying the sight of your home world being conquered by a superior enemy? Sangheili, there is nothing you can do to stop us. The Covenant Loyalists will turn your planet into another Jiralhanae colony and Earth will be converted to glass!" exclaimed the hologram. "Who are you? Identify yourself!" demanded Dao, clenching his fist and leaning forward. "I am the High Prophet of Restraint. I became a Hierarch after your Arbiter murdered the High Prophet of Truth and prevented us from transcending into gods!" answered the San'Shyuum. Gura leaned forward, as if slightly annoyed. "He was going to activate Halo and destroy all sentient life in this galaxy. He would have killed us all if the Arbiter had not slew him." explained Gura. "Nonsense! Halo was going to make us gods, and we would've destroyed the Flood. But instead, you deactivate Halo and destroy the Flood yourselves. The Forerunners did not want it this way..." Restrain explained, trying to convince the Council he was telling the truth. "...I was ursurped by the Vice Minister of Tranquility, or as he was known when he was a Hierarch, the High Prophet of Regret. It was a mistake. I was on the Roll of Celibates, a list where the San'Shyuum who possessed recessive genes were recorded and forbidden to ever reproduce. However, I impregnated a young San'Shyuum female, and I decided that my offspring shall be saved from abortion. The Minister of Fortitude promised me that if I step down, he would cover up this scandal. In my place was the High Prophet of Regret. But now that they are dead, I have reclaimed my place as a Hierarch, as has the High Prophet of Tolerance. However, the High Prophetess of Obligation could not reclaim her place, as she is now, sadly, deceased. In her place, however, is the High Prophetess of Release. Now that the Hierarchs are restored, the Covenant shall be rebuilt as a stronger empire!" explained Restraint, deactivating the hologram at the end of his speech. Tai'Vushkom, a Councilor underneath Bor's rank, closed his eyes in deep thought. He chanted several words before falling silent. "How did they know our frequency?" questioned Gura. "Nobody could've told them. Unless, there is a traitor amongst us." answered Bor. "Do not jump to conclusions, Bor. You always think something is the fault of Heretics within our nation." said Groda'Lusham, who was a rank beneath Tai. Tai opened his eyes, attracting the attention of the Council. "What is it, Tai?" questioned Dao suspiciously. "There...is a Heretic within this Council. We must kill him!" Tai spoke viciously, his voice filled with anger and rage. Bor stood, drew his Energy Sword, and activated the superheated blade.